The Portland daily press., 1887-10-08
THE BRITISH POST OFFICE.
A Place Where You Can Get Your
Letters, Send Telegram, Deposit
Your Money, Buy a Bond or Enlist
In the AYnnv
[Consul General waller,s Report.l

[Consul General Walters Report.l
The British post office is a marvel of busi-
ness Capitalization. In addition to the for
warding of mail matter, transmission Of tele-
grams, the use Of the telephone, the delivery
Of small parcels. the exchange of money by
postal orders, and receipt Of small savings
features to which allusion was made in the
last annual report-it receives money for
investment in Government stocks, insures
lives, grant annuities. issues internal revenue
stamps and licenses and recruits soldiers for
the army.
Money orders are issued for sums varying
from Is Us cents) to $40 $50 at rates vary
ing from I'd (l4eents) to Is C25 cents. This
is regarded as a safe mode Of transmitting
money. The original order being issued to
applicant and a duplicate being sent to the
postoffice. to which it is made payable
the recipient having, upon application for
the amount, not only to sign it in exact ae-
cordanee with the printed directions, but
has also to state the full name and address
of the sender, which information does not OF
course, appear upon the original order in his
hands, but upon the duplicate sent to the
able. The total number issued for the year
1886 was 10, 703, 800 representing Sill, 319 495.
Postal notes are Issued for sums varying
from Is Us cents to 81 $50 at rates from Id
Il cent? to I'D q cents. If an odd amount Of
pence is required to be transmitted the sem
der may affix postage stamps of the required
value on the back of the postal note. The
special advantage of these orders or notes is
that they can be cashed at any postoffice
at which they are presented
designated, and 1t is only necessary for them
to be signed in the name of the person APP
pearing upon them. The fact that they are
SO cashed, or passed as current coin, renders
this rather Insecure way OF transmitting
money. The total number issued during the
$50.
The savings bank is the largest and most
popular branch of the department. In this
the public may invest their savings at inter
est In the sums of Is Csc to ESQ $3.50, but
not more than ESQ $3.50 may be deposited in
any one year. The total deposits, including
interest accrued, in the Post-office Savings
Bank on the 31st of December, 1885 amounted
to 1888, 4S9 100. In order to encourage thrift
among the poor, blanks are supplied gratuit-
ously at all post-ofices, divided into twelve
small spaces, on which unused Id (2-cent)
postage stamps may be affixed one by one
until filled up, when the slip will be received
at any post-0ffice as a deposit for Is (25 cents
A person who has thus deposited his saw
ings can, when the usual deposit book has
been supplied to him, make fresh deposits or
withdraw his money at days notice from
any one Of the eight thousand officers in the
kingdom.
A person wishing to invest any sum, say
from $40 $50 to R100 $500 in Government
stock can do so at any post office. at the cur
rent price Of the day, at a small commission
varying from Cd Q8c) to Is I'd (56c). The post
Office also issues life policies upon the lives
of persons between the ages of fourteen and
sixtyflve, and for sums Of from IS (S25) TO
el00 $500. The premiums may be paid an
nually, half yearly, quarterly, monthly or
weekly, and at any post-offlce near which
the insured may be located when the pre-
miums become due.
In like manner the post-office also grants
immediate or deferred annuities from e5
(S25) to El00 900 per annum under similar
conditions, payable either in one sum or by
periodical installments. Persons whose lives
are insured or to whom annuities are granted
by the department, have direct Government
security for the payment Of the money.
Husband and wife may each be insured, or
purchase annuities for the maximum amount
800 $500.
Bill stamps, indicature fee stamps, and
dog, carriage, game and all other licenses, are
also procured at most OF the head and dis
trict post-offices inLondon and the provinces.
The lowest rate for inland kilograms Is six
pence Twelve cents. The total number of
messages transmitted for the year ending
March 81, 1885, was 30, 235, S13.
The department has large number OF
telephone exchanges, the subscriptions tC
which amount at present to about $3.50
per annum, but the greater part of the tele-
phone business is conducted by private com.
panies, who pay royalties to the department
of upward of 100000 per annum. The de
partment also leases private telegraph wires
to individuals at yearly rentals.
The dpDartmpnt assists the military an.
thorities by supplying Postmasters with al
the necessary forms of attestati0n of recruits
which o6viates the necessity for Intending
recruits having to proceed to the nearest
military depot for information. Every Post
master is required to furnish detailed cash
account every day to the chief Office, showing
the whole of the business transacted and the
amount of balance in hand due to the depart
ment at the close of the day.
There are employed in the various depart
ments of the chief Office in London alone nc
less than 7,45S officials, of whom LILO are fe-
males.